Yes, I know I look daft and the get up is perhaps overkill for sanding a car. However, if you had three members of your family, including your mother, killed from inhaling Asbestos dust at a time when it was not considered as lethal as it is now, then you may be very adverse to letting anything in your lungs apart from fresh air.

My set up for sanding is listed further back in the timeline in more detail, but is essentially a 3M full face mask, disposable overalls, wellingtons, powdered latex gloves and an approved vacuum by Bosch. Everything is tucked in or taped. Putting on is perhaps five minutes and removing perhaps a couple. I leave the garage completely free of dust and the garage and car are left hoovered. Saves cross-contamination and time stripping off contaminated clothes and needing an immediate shower.

Before sanding, the type of paint on the car was checked. It was urethene with a clear coat.

Why no power tools or paint stripper? Because experts in glassfibre painting do not recommend stripping and power tools can all to easily mark or go through the gel coat.

My prep to car prior to sanding is also unconventional and is therefore probably mockable. Again works for me.

1. Steam clean with a domestic steam cleaner panel to be sanded.
2. Use acetone to clean sticky residue etc.
3. Use detailing spray coupled with a clay bar to remove remaining impurities from the surface.

The above is probably over the top, but works for me, does not take long and at least I can say that I am not sanding impurities into bodywork.

Sanding. Started with 80 grit. As per previous have a number of block sanding solutions to hand. My favourite, as a total amateur, is the Soft Sanders. Literally a flexible solution and the sandpaper they supply seems to last forever. Sanding itself  is not as tedious as I thought, but it is still early days. Seems to take forever to get off, but will teach me patience.